Production Hardware

One of the best things about having outboard gear in a studio is being able to step away from the computer and focus more on your ears, and the moment. It just so happens that the hardware often sounds great as well. That's why so much analog, standalone gear keeps hitting the market. The Arturia DrumBrute is a new drum machine that packs a punch at a budget-friendly $449. Keep reading to watch Mad Zach take it through the paces in this hands-on first look.

Pioneer DJ's hybrid sampler/sequencer, the TORAIZ SP-16 has been one of the most anticipated product launches of the year for DJs and producers. The TORAIZ marks the first time that Pioneer has built a standalone unit designed for live production/performance. DJTT contributor Stu G got an opportunity to check out the unit last week - watch his full overview in today's exclusive first look video.

Today we're releasing two more videos from Ean's series on using the Roland AIRA TR-8 alongside Ableton Live in a live performance setup. The first video focuses on using delay on hi-hats for a fresh live drumming feel, while the second shows how just a bit of bit crushing can make rides sound really cool. All of the effects are MIDI-mapped, turning the TR-8 drum machine into a powerful live instrument!

We've got a brand new video in Ean's ongoing series about turing the Roland AIRA TR-8 into a super-charged performance and production tool by connecting it to Ableton Live. In part two, Ean shows off how a little bit of clever delay can dramatically change the sounds you're playing. With some MIDI mapping magic, it becomes a wild and fun performance technique - watch the full video inside.

Ahead of the NAMM 2016 show, which starts on Thursday in Anaheim, Roland has released details of the A-01, a new highly portable controller that connects to DAWs, tablets, CV/GATE and MIDI gear. The A-01 is an incredible hybrid machine - with the flexibility to be an on-the-go production tool, a studio mainstay, or a live performance rig. Keep reading to see it in action and read some of the details.

We've seen modular synthesis take off significantly in the last few years. Last year at NAMM there even was an entire corner of the main hall dedicated to small boutique synthesizer companies! For our new episode in the Riverside Studio live instrument series, we asked producer Tobi Neuman to share his techniques for creating an analog kick sound out of just four modules. Watch and learn - this video is a great introduction for producers just getting their first taste of modular.

The Komplete Kontrol-S keyboards have been on the market for a while now, but excitingly Native Instruments has continued to build up a software-side system that supports the line and makes it even more powerful. With a new update to the Komplete Kontrol software, producers can use their own VST instruments and developers can build native versions of their instruments with a new format. Plus, there's a new 88-key version of the keyboard!

Digital and analogue drum machines have become staples in dance music with tremendous staying power over the decades. However, many of these classic sounds (including 909 and 808) are very raw and contain less than ideal "sonic gremlins" that hide in your mix. Today professional mixing engineer Hannes Bieger - who specializes in house and techno music - is going to show you how to clean up the high-end in your dance tracks by isolating and removing nasty frequencies.